Wisdom of Ben Sira Chapter 29

Ben Sira warns us about the problem of borrowing money and loaning money. He doesn't say don't do it as much as he says be careful because it often leads to problems. The old joke, "If  I loan my brother-in-law $1000 and he doens't pay me back and never speaks to me again, was it worth it?" seems to be appropriate here.

He states all of this in the context of not looking down on the poor. That, in and of itself, is solid advice.